Former Savannah’s owners launching Latham pub/wine bar

Joe Schaefer and Pete Cusato, who owned Savannah’s/The Dublin Underground in downtown Albany for four years until it closed at the end of August, are developing a new venture called The Grape and the Growler at 155 Wade Road in Latham, site of the former Landing Zone pub. A spring opening is projected.

Schaefer tells me the business will essentially be two separate spaces under one roof: A wine bar side (The Grape), with 25 red wines and 25 whites by the glass and the bottle, a list of contemporary and adventurous cocktails, and a menu of small, tapas-style items, cheese plates and the like. The other half (The Growler) will feature 34 draft beers and another 50 or so by the bottle. Food will include large burgers meant to be shared by a group and other hearty pub fare. Takeout and delivery will be available.

The 2,500-square-foot building, which the partners are leasing with the option to buy, needs significant renovation to transform it from what had been a dumpy college bar, Schaefer tells me. It has been closed since a March 2011 raid found 100 of the 150 patrons in The Landing Zone were underage, and the bar was offering an all-you-can-drink special, which is illegal.

Latham could certainly use a place like this, and at first glance I’m pretty excited by the possibilities. But then I see that the potentially interesting food options are focused on the “grape” side of the place. Beer drinkers get standard pub fare and “large burgers meant to be shared by a group”? If that means what I think it means, I don’t want it.

I’ll hold out hope that this new place realizes that a lot of folks who like good beer also like good, interesting food. There are enough options in the area at which one can get standard pub fare with good beer–how about something more than that, yet still in a casual setting?

If the Landing Zone was where I think it was, adjacent to the airport property, I can hardly think of a worse location. On the other hand, a place at 155 Wade Road EXTENSION, if there is a building site there, would be located pretty well.

While I’m glad to see something go into this spot (although I can think of several better spots in Latham) the concept strikes me as odd. What if half of your group prefers wine while the other half likes beer? Do you have to sit separately or go somewhere else where you can order both at the same table?

Maybe its because i work right near there but i dont see why everyone says its in a horrible location. Its right off the northway, just down the road from the dibella’s/chipotle. I would say about 5 minutes from the highway with lights being on your side.

Does sound like a nice name and concept. However, it would do much better across from SUNY where there are developing hotels with little entertainment fair and few competitors versus the proposed Latham location. Listen to the fellow posters! If you want to do well, find a new location!

If the product is good, the business will prosper. Not every business that is successful is located “on your way”. There are plenty of places that traveling out of your way is required and worth the trip. I have a feeling this will be one of those places worth the trip. Good luck Joe and Pete, I’ll see you there!

Sorry Ray, but you keep saying, “1 mile from Northway.” That’s from Exit 5, (which when you drive west on 155 there is NOTHING out there) but you keep inferring it’s from Exit 6, the way you get to your Rte. 7 Dibellas and Chipolte.

Anyone that knows where this place is knows it’s in no mans land. If you disagree, fine. Keep your checkbook handy so you can partner up with these guys. They’ll need your money infusion by Memorial Day.

Reality check – I clearly stated the proposed location is 1 mile from Exit 5. However, since you bring up exit 6 of the Northway, the proposed location is still only 1.5 miles (according to google maps) from that exit. If you follow that route, you will pass 3 hotels, 7 restaurants and a small shopping center. You said “nowhere near the Northway” and “NOTHING” is there. I don’t think it’s an ideal location, but it’s not in the middle of nowhere!

I think the point Ray(and myself) is that everyone is making it seem like it is a 40minute drive from the highway to get anywhere near it. Is it the ideal location? No. But like i said earlier, with all the lights being green(which never happens up here anyways) its like a 5minute drive from the Northway.

Hell, I’d almost recommend them to move to Clifton Park as there really isnt a good ‘beer bar’ there.

#21 – What is directly across the street from 155 Wade Road? NYS Tax and Finance has over 100 people in its Corporate Tax division stationed in the building that looks like a warehouse. What is to the left? The Town of Colonie has its two story Operations Center there. The NYS Division of Military and Naval Affairs has its joint forces headquaters right down the street. Wade Road is lined with office parks. Look at Avis Drive. Liberty Mutual Insurance has a HUGE office on Wade Rd. CSEA has multi story headquarters on Wade Rd.
You have no idea of the number of people who work on that short section of road. Do you think the HUNDREDS of people who work in these buldings might ever go out for a drink?

Ups, fed ex, pepsi all have huge distribution centers with a ton of workers . Scarboroughs does very well over there. You could not ask for a better lunch happy hour location combined with all the hotels around there with travelers who need something to do at nighttime. I kind of think these guys might be on to something

I live right around the corner form this location. I think its a good location. There is alot of residential here along with tons of offices, warehouses and the army base. They will be well. The ones that keep saying its a bad location do not know the area.

I’d like to start by saying Bobby Cairns ran a restaurant there and as I remember it was jammed packed all the time. He later moved to the location on Rt 2 just vacated by Otis and Olivers. Here’s the deal folks (and by folks I mean the two men opening the restaurant) put a lot of thought into the menu. The large hamburger is flat out a mistake. You’d be better off serving hand made mini sliders. Serve good to great food but more importantly be consistent. Nothing pisses the general population off more than going to a restaurant and one time it is great and the next time is is lousy. People just won’t come back and keep trying to get good food. A great big menu is really not necessary, just keep it simple and serve quality for fair prices. I personally love to go to a place like this and find a couple of good specials and a great soup of the day. People will come. Lunch traffic loves a good sandwich and cup of soup. One more note if the people sitting on The Grape side of the establishment can’t get a nice cold beer from The Growler side you flat out are going in the wrong direction. It just simply won’t work. Also listen to the customers and get yourself some friendly wait staff. I have witnessed first hand the demise of a great restaurant because customers can’t stand the monotone, robotic waitress or the waitress who generally doesn’t give a damn to be there. I really wish these two gentlemen a lot of luck and hope this new Latham restaurant becomes a local hotspot!! I will definitely be there to give a try. Can’t wait.

Being from Latham, there is nothing east of the traffic circle all the way into that armpit called watervliet. All the new development is happening along route 7, west of the traffic circle. Wade road is a good location as long as it is witnin eyesight of route 7. Where this place will be located is amost like entering another time zone, more industrial district where foottraffic will be hard to generate because it is out of sight.

The location will be a challenge along with the current interior layout. Over the years that I’ve lived in Latham this location has housed several bar/restaurant businesses and none have done well or lasted long. It will be interesting to see how it does….it’s going to have to serve very good food and drinks at fair prices to overcome the bad rap this location has had…..good luck!!!!!!

I would prefer an excellent beer and tapas pairing. But no – if you prefer beer to wine you must be a epicurean slug.
Back of the bus? Other side of the restauant?
How about a fruity wheat beer with a swiss cheesey app?
Or a smooth porter with some scallops.
Definitely a hoppy IPA with a garlicy bruschetta.
Segretion is never a good thing.